Let’s start with the Big Now-Historical Fact: The government lied. They knew masks were helpful at controlling the spread of airborne viruses, and yet key players discouraged mask use at the beginning. At the beginning … when we might have won this thing — when contact tracing might have been possible — they told the American public that masks would lead to “face touching.”

Most people went along, although I remember a masked woman in my favorite grocery store, saying to me. “Yes, we’ll think for ourselves.” I mean, duhhh. Those hundreds of thousands of doctors haven’t just been indulging themselves in a weird face-covering fetish for decades.

But alleged authorities warned us away from masks. I understand why. In a pandemic scenario, the United States was desperately short of basic personal protective equipment (PPE). Health care workers were about to get clobbered if toilet paper was any sort of a leading indicator, and toilet paper turned out to be a great leading indicator.

Yes, we have no N-95s today. Or tomorrow. Or for the indefinite future unless you work in healthcare. Even then sometimes you have to get lucky. And just last week, CNN reported that “the United States Food and Drug Administration is loosening the requirements for surgical masks, citing shortages.” The situation appears dire in some nursing homes to judge by this title:

Teachers are still out of luck. It’s August. Schools are opening. Students share pictures of packed hallways and water fountains that have been turned off. We have pictures of smiling teachers in face shields and maybe-smiling teachers with faces covered, crinkly eyes above fun masks made at home or purchased online. Paper and fabric masks of varying quality are turning up in stores and at art fairs. Social media users caution teachers to wear both the mask AND the shield.

Eduhonesty: I wrote a version of this post in late July. Nearly a month has gone by, yet those medical grade masks simply are not out there — not for teachers, anyway.

How did a country with the resources and technological know-how of the United States reach August without decent PPE — especially masks — for teachers? My new Etsy mask? I like the fact that these masks have a pocket for filters. I am using coffee filters. They also have a thin pocket for nose wires, slightly more comfortable on the nose when I bend wires to fit my face, which keeps my glasses from fogging. I love my favorite Etsy masks. But I’d never enter an operating room relying on the witches’ cauldron mask below.

I’d never enter a classroom either. I am a retired teacher. Would I substitute now if I had a supply of N-95 masks? In some districts, I just might. That statement’s entirely theoretical, though. I’m not going into those rooms depending on two layers of fabric and a coffee filter — although many other teachers are doing exactly that. Other teachers are using mask versions that involve only one piece of fabric.

Posts abound on social media asking how to avoid fogging glasses. Big indicator: If your glasses fog, your mask is not well-sealed. I’ve worn those N-95s. If the fit is right, the glasses don’t fog. Air’s not supposed to be blowing out all over the place from the top and bottom of the mask. That’s not the idea behind filtering.

But teachers are not being given much choice. Real masks? Caregivers and teachers would love to find those masks — only in many places they can’t. I’m not sure where the masks are hiding. My social media groups are spread throughout the country and the mask fight appears to be taking place on a national front.

This is a travesty. We knew about COVID-19 in February, and some pivotal government groups appear to have known earlier. We locked down in March. It’s August.

In my view, the current administration didn’t just drop a ball.

Instead, they lobbed a cluster bomb — directly into the heart of American education.